The present invention relates to a system and a method for allowing a quality check of sausage-shaped products according to the preamble of independent claims 1 and 13.
In particular, the present invention relates to a system and a method for allowing a quality check of sausage shaped products, like sausages. The system comprises a filling tube for feeding filling material, like sausage meat, in a feeding direction into a tubular packing casing provided on the filling tube and closed at the front end by a closure means, like a closure clip, a clipping machine having a displacer unit with at least two pairs of displacer elements for gathering the filled tubular packing casing and for providing a plait-like portion which is at least approximately free from filling material, a clipping unit for applying two closure means to the plait-like portion of the tubular packing casing, a first closure means for closing an actually filled tubular packing casing for forming a sausage-shaped product to be produced presently, and a second closure means for closing the front end of the tubular packing casing provided on the filling tube and forming the following sausage-shaped product to be produced next. The system further comprises a feeding unit for feeding flexible suspension elements, like loops, to the clipping unit for being attached to the sausage-shaped product by means of the first or second closure means, the feeding unit includes a positioning device for positioning the flexible suspension element to be attached to the sausage-shaped product. Moreover, the system comprises a transportation unit for transporting the sausage-shaped product out of the clipping machine to a storing device.
From the EP patent application 1 897 446, a production line for producing sausage-shaped products, like sausages, is known. Said known production line comprises a clipping machine for conveying a filling material, like sausage meat, into a tubular packaging casing, gathering the filled tubular casing by respective displacer units and applying closure clips to the gathered casing portion for closing a filled casing portion by a clipping unit. A flexible suspension loop is fed to the clipping unit by a feeding unit and fixed to the sausage-shaped product by a closure clip. For discharging the sausage-shaped product out of the clipping machine and for further transportation of the sausage-shaped product to an automatic hanging line including a storage element, like a smoking rod, a transportation device is provided. Said transportation device includes a first transportation path which comprises a catching element and guide rail for catching and guiding the suspension loop together with the sausage-shaped product attached to the loop in the direction of the hanging line, and a second transportation path following the first transportation path in the transportation direction and including a conveyor belt for conveying the sausage-shaped product lying on the conveyor belt towards the automatic hanging line. The transportation device terminates in a delivery position including a fork-like delivery element for providing the sausage-shaped products hanging thereon by the suspension loops to the conveyer of the automatic hanging line. A hook element of the conveyer of the hanging line engages the loop of the sausage-shaped product provided in the delivery position and conveys said sausage-shaped product to a predetermined position on the smoking rod disposed in the hanging line.
In the production of sausage-shaped products, like sausages, it is important to produce sausages of equal length and weight. Moreover, the efficiency of the production of sausages shall be increased, too. The known production line mentioned above, includes a weighing device integrated into the production line and being provided for measuring in a random testing the weight of a sausage product. The result of the measuring can be used for controlling the production process for sausage-shaped products. Said weighing device includes a lever which may be pivoted into a gap in the transportation path of the sausage-shaped product between the transportation device and the hanging line. The sausage-shaped product can be transferred out of the transportation path to the lever of the weighing device for inspection matters, e.g. to be weighed.
As mentioned above, the weighing device of the known production line is provided after the transportation paths. Thus, the sausage-shaped products have to cover a relatively long distance before the measuring process can occur. If the weight is incorrect, a lot of further sausage-shaped products having an incorrect weight, are produced before the information as to the incorrect weight can be derived from the control of the production of the sausage-shaped products.